There are approximately 400 verses in scripture that deal with God’s concern for immigrants, foreigners, aliens or sojourners in the land.

God’s overriding concern is that the treated justly, fairly, not harshly or abusively.

To oppose the rights and value of foreigners is to oppose God.

“’When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34

We learn from this verse:

• Foreigners in your midst should be treated fairly;

• Like the native-born, they have a right to due process;

• Regard them as valuable, as you value yourself, and do for them what you would do for yourself;

• You are really no different from them;

• This is God’s command.

Lest anyone think I’m going too far by reading “treated as your native-born” as a command for due process, throughout scripture, God calls for equal treatment by the nation’s legal system, such as:

“Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.” Deuteronomy 24:17

There are many patterns in scripture, and one of them is the Exodus story. It is meant to remind us of Adam and Eve being chased from the Garden of Eden, the original land of milk and honey, and thus becoming foreigners, exiles. In the Exodus story, the Israelites are returning from exile, where they were mistreated as slaves, to a new Eden, a new Eden if they can keep it.

They don’t deserve Eden. In Egypt and even during the exodus, they worshiped idols and displayed a profound lack of trust in God. Yet, God granted them grace.

In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a dual reality. He came to lead out of the wilderness those who were expelled from the Garden of Eden, thereby becoming exiles. But in accepting the grace of salvation, we become citizens of the Kingdom of God while still shackled to this earthly realm. Thus, we are all foreigners, all strangers, all aliens in need of mercy.

Grace is a free gift. A gift we owe to others because we didn’t deserve the gift.

I see comments from people professing Christ about “illegal aliens” along the lines of “my parents came here legally.” Or, “they came here illegally, so they have no rights.”

What do I think when I read such comments, “Let those without sin cast the first stone.”

In First Century Judea, among the most despised people were tax collectors. They were Jews who worked for the Roman Empire and grifters who charged more than taxes owed and kept the excess for themselves. Jesus told Zacchaeus, a tax collector, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10.

If anybody in this country came into this country illegally, breaking the law is a sin. It is not obeying governing authority. If we recognize it as a sin, all the more reason to owe them grace, just as Jesus modeled.

There is no place in the doctrine of a true disciple to desire anything less than fair treatment and compassion for foreigners, regardless of how they came to be with us.